Chad Smith Photos
The first qualifying attempt for Kyle Larson started strong, but the NASCAR Cup champion ran into an issue on his fourth and final lap. An electrical issue popped up on his steering wheel and he abandoned the run.
“There’s some alarm that popped up on the engine cut a bunch of power,” Larson said. “I don’t know what happened. We didn’t make it off Turn 2. I haven’t talked to anybody, so I don’t know what happened. But that sucks. I don’t really know how our run was looking, but the car felt pretty balanced.”
Potential problems for @KyleLarsonRacin?
The No. 17 driver says he abandoned his first run due to an alarm and loss of power.
📺: #Indy500 qualifying on Peacock
Larson was the sixth of 34 cars to hit the track for qualifying, which was considered an advantage due to the weather and track temperature. Because he abandoned the run, he would have to qualify later in the day.
The Arrow McLaren IndyCar team discovered that the cause was an electrical problem. That was a big sigh of relief. The team would not have to make an engine change – something they did earlier in the week.
Before Larson even got on track, there had already been an accident. Rinus VeeKay spun and crashed hard during his qualifying attempt. Larson was able to block that out of his mind and concentrate on his run.
Three of the four Arrow McLaren cars had trouble during qualifying today. Callum Ilott had his time disallowed for a rule violation on his rear tire, while Pato O’Ward had similar plenum fire issues on his No. 5 Chevrolet. The team is considered to be one of the favorites to win the race.
Nearly two hours later, Larson returned to the track to qualify. This time around there were no issues, and he was fast.
THE FULL QUALIFYING RUN for Kyle Larson.
The 2021 NASCAR champ puts himself in the provisional Fast 12 for his first #Indy500.
📺 : Peacock
His four-lap average of 232.563 mph was good enough for 6th place. That put him into the Top 12, where every driver wants to be. Those 12 drivers will duke it out for pole position tomorrow. Qualifying ends at 5:50 PM ET today.
Jeff Gordon at Indianapolis
The driver is always the one in the spotlight, but this Indy 500 venture involves two other NASCAR legends. Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon are a big part of this deal, and Gordon was at the Speedway today to witness Larson’s performance in person.
Gordon, who won the Brickyard 400 five times, never did fulfill his dream of driving in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. His career certainly turned out okay, but he knows full well the gravity of this iconic event.
“Indianapolis is what made me a fan of motorsports.”
NASCAR LEGEND Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) on being back at the Brickyard to work with McLaren, Hendrick and Kyle Larson. #Indy500
“I feel like Indianapolis is what made me a fan of motorsports,” Gordon told Peacock. “As a kid, even in California, between Sprint Car racing and the Indianapolis 500, that’s what drew me in, and made me really want to be a race car driver. And I, as a kid, came here. So you know, I’ve been here before, a long time ago. I was able to drive the pace car here a few years back. And it is, it’s just special. When you live here in Indiana, you race around Indiana, it becomes that much more hallowed ground.”
“That dream didn’t come true in an IndyCar, but it came true in the Brickyard 400, in a stock car. And this is another dream come true, getting Rick Hendrick, Kyle Larson and just all of Hendrick Motorsports involved in this amazing event. We hope we get qualified in, and we get to go and have a fun weekend next week.”
Kevin Harvick Handles NASCAR All-Star Qualifying
While Kyle was busy qualifying in Indianapolis, Kevin Harvick was busy behind the wheel of Larson’s Cup car at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Harvick has spent the week in the simulator and attending team meetings at Hendrick. He has been impressed with the whole process.
“I heard from the team owner twice in two weeks,” Harvick said with a laugh. “That’s different. It’s interesting to see…the race shop and the structure and the way that everybody goes about it differently.”
”There are a million different ways you can do things, but I think the thing that sticks out for me about Hendrick Motorsports, in general, is it’s truly run like a business that’s part of an actual structure of how things flow and who you talk to.”
Qualifying was rained out but Harvick finished 25th fastest of the 37 cars that participated in practice. Harvick will start 12th in the first Heat race tonight. Larson will return for the All-Star Race main event on Sunday night.